2003 Truck of the Year: Dodge Ram Heavy Duty

Changing the face of the pickup-truck market--again

From the onset of our Truck of the Year competition, we knew the Ram Heavy Duty was a prime contender. It fulfills the promise set forth last year by the introduction of an all-new Ram and now offers the power and capability expected in the three-quarter and one-ton segments, plus features, content, and capacities that in many ways raise the bar for this class of truck.

Time and again, we gravitated to the Ram HD's potent new V-8 Hemi, 8.0-liter V-10, and Cummins turbodiesel powertrains. We were impressed by the HD's living-room-like interior, high feature content, and big-rig styling. The Ram exhibits fine driving manners, hauls a bed full of concrete blocks with ease, and pulls loaded trailers without breaking a sweat. Think of it as a burly lumberjack dressed in a tux.

Available in three-quarter (2500) or one-ton (3500) variations, the fresh-from-the-ground-up HD sports a fully boxed, hydro- formed frame--the only player in this class to do so. It's far stiffer, from a structural standpoint, than that of the previous-generation Ram, which contributes to lower noise/vibration/harshness levels and improved handling. The hydroforming process reduces the number of required welds, making a frame that should maintain its strength properties as the years roll by.

Power isn't an important factor for a Truck of the Year nominee--it's critical. Dodge offers five powerhouses for the HD: two muscular gasoline engines and three turbodiesels. Standard fare for the 2500 and 3500 is the new 5.7-liter/345-horsepower Hemi Magnum V-8 mated to a NV4500 five-speed manual gearbox; a five-speed 5456RFE automatic is optionally available. A torque peak of 375 lb-ft at 4400 rpm helps the Hemi pull with the best of the midsize V-8s--especially in terms of 0-60 acceleration (posting an 8.1-second time in our 2500 Quad Cab 4x2 tester). With so much available low-end grunt, the Hemi has the right to claim best-in-class acceleration and towing. "Love the power and rumble this engine makes," wrote Truck Trend Editor Mark Williams in the 2500's logbook. "This is a truck engine."Back for another tour of duty, the 8.0-liter/ 305-horsepower Magnum V-10 remains an option, with either a five-speed manual or automatic tranny. If you're planning on hauling anything super substantial, yet still want the convenience of gasoline power, the V-10's 450 lb-ft of torque provides ample twist to get the job done.